“When I look at the present state of things in the world I realize that Vladimir Putin is the sole defender of Christian civilization one can rely on,” Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with French magazine Valeurs Actuelles. The Syrian leader also said that he would step down only if asked to by the Syrian people and the Syrian parliament, adding that the issue of his possible resignation had not yet been raised on an international level. Syria will only share intelligence information with France if Paris changes its policies in the region, President Assad said.